Lunar Mirage Series
by Usless5075
Summary: Artemis, now feeling the Desert Fox's power run through him, decides to complete his first task at creating his new family; find a mate to bear his children. Traveling through the desert he runs into several characters that end up changing his life foreve
1. Chapter 1: Chopped Beliefs

** Lunar Mirage**

** Chapter One: Chopped Beliefs**

_Artemis had been traveling for days, not wearing out from fatigue out all. However he was still getting used to the Desert Fox's power, and was learning dramatically more and more by every passing day. His sole purpose now was to find a well populated area, so that way he could find himself a good mate. He felt he didn't have the time nor the patience to try any other place; despite the fact that his life had now been extended a thousand fold. The Prower had traveled around two thousand miles into the desert, and he was now looking for just a simple place to settle down for the night, ask a few people where was the next populated town, and go on about his business._

_In the sand dunes..._

Artemis continued running swiftly through the desert, not finding any thing useful at the moment to help him with his ultimate goal. Since the Desert Fox's power was new to him, he was still blind to where he was going in the middle of the desert. He figured that the more he got in touch with it, the more he would know. That would include the whereabouts of everything across the whole planet. He simply needed to get used to the spirit inside of him. He began to get a feeling that he could not explain, it began small at first, but it started to get larger. It was something Artemis certainly not used to, but if he could put it into words, he would describe it as a blinking feeling, as if something inside of him wanted to pay attention to something. He glanced beside and behind him as he continued running and finally noticed that a large tan cloud began to come towards him from behind. 'Sandstorm... just my luck...' he thought to himself and continued running.

The grey fox's golden eyes began to scan quickly ahead of him, looking for quick shelter until the sandstorm passed over him. He continued running, trying to find some evidence of anything that could hide him from the airborne sand. He also took note that he needed better clothing. The open dark blue vest that he was wearing needed to be washed, along with his jeans. He also was aware that he needed clothing to appeal to the area and situation he was in. Even though he had a very strong spirit dormant inside of him, it still didn't mean he was invincible or impervious to everything. He still thirsted, still had hunger from time to time, and still had an interest for certain things. Of course, nothing was more important on this list of interest than females at the moment.

The grey vulpine continued running and then noticed he was about to enter into a small wooded area. He also noticed that the hard sand began to turn into stone, and the trees seemed to be good shelter for him during the storm. "Perfect..." he whispered to himself and then ran into the area. The grey fox quickly noticed small huts scattered in a clear stoned area. He also noticed that there were tents at the border of the huts, which Artemis predicted were there for those who came in and out of their area, for support probably to outsiders or for those who traveled inside and out of the group. The grey fox casually walked up to one of the tents, trying to find someone that could give him permission to enter one of the tents.

As he walked deeper into the vacated area, he noticed two figures close to each other. One was quite smaller than the other, and it was jumping at the taller figure, as if it was trying to grab something from the taller figure's hand. "Gimme it Oasis." the smaller figure whined. Artemis approached the two figures and remained silent as he watched the taller figure continue holding their hand high holding an object. As Artemis got closer, he realized that the taller figure was a brown fennec with three black markings on her face. Specifically a marking was right above the bridge of her nose, and the other two were under each eye towards her nose. Her ears were also slightly burgundy and her eyes were royal blue. She was slim, and her clothes looked very adaptable towards their current weather. His keen eye on description seemed to heighten dramatically. As he came closer, he noticed the smaller figure looked similar to the taller one. Artemis assumed that the smaller fox was related to the taller one.

He walked closer and then stepped on a fallen branch, which quickly alerted the two that someone was around. Immediately the smaller fox went behind the fennec and clung to her baggy pants. "Who's out there?" the fennec asked in a serious tone. Artemis quickly stepped closer, showing himself to the two foxes, "I'm Artemis, and I'm looking for a place to shelter myself from this sandstorm that's coming this way." the grey fox greeted. The brown fennec eyed the grey fox up and down before quickly looking at the exit of the wooded area. "A sandstorm you say? How would you know that before it came? Are you saying you saw it and then came here?" the brown fennec asked. Artemis nodded, "Yes, I ran to any place I could find shelter until the storm passes, then I want to know where the nearest urban area is from here." the grey vulpine stated bluntly. The brown fennec crossed her arms, slightly bewildered at the information she took in from him. 'Ran here? Highly doubt it...' she thought to herself. "Well you'll have to ask the chief in order to find out the next town or city... first I'll take you to our tent... if what you say is true, the storm will be on us any minute now. Come on Funsani..." she beckoned and then began walking deeper into the wooded area.

The grey fox along with the other brown fox followed his sister and then reached a tent. The two siblings stopped by the outside of the tent while Artemis slowly went inside. He looked around, quickly noticing that it was good enough to withstand the storm. Artemis looked back towards the entrance of the tent, thinking that the others were coming inside. With the inquisitive look on his face, the brown fennec quickly got the message and shook her head, "Oh, we can't come inside, Funsani and I need to go take care of some business..." she began, when another female voice cut into the conversation. "What business?" an older female asked, slightly getting into the view of the open slit. "Mom... we were just..." the brown fennec began, when she was cut off again. "Now Oasis, you know you have to go perform the ritual today. Benipe has been waiting all day for you to arrive to his tent. He's growing rather impatient." the mature voice remarked. "But mother I..." Oasis began, when Artemis slowly stepped out of the tent. This caused the two females to grow silent as he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to disturb you ladies, but if anyone is heading towards the chief now... I would advise that you make it wait. This storm is going to hit quite hard, so if anyone can make an emergency trip across your community or something to alert everyone that it's coming, I'm sure it will be helpful to the rest of your... tribe." the grey fox warned.

Artemis wasn't too sure if he was correct, he had just guessed by the certain clothing the three were wearing and the talk of a ritual dance. "Oh my sir... who are you?" the older fennec asked. "I am Artemis Prower, and I've traveled a long way on a quest to complete my ultimate goal. Of course, pit stops need to be made, it's only natural in the course of progress." he answered coolly. The way he had answered seemed to give a positive vibe to the older fennec and she smiled vibrantly. "I'm Yasmin Hala, the mother of six... well seven in a couple of months. I'll go tell the chief that the ritual will have to be put on hold until the storm is over." she remarked happily. Artemis nodded as confirmation that he understood. "Jarred and Jabari, please watch your younger sister and brother for me." the mature brown fennec said calmly and then headed off deep into the wooded area. Suddenly two older male brown foxes came into Artemis' sight and watched as they both folded their arms. They were much bigger than Artemis, quite built and seemed to love intimidating newcomers with stares and bared teeth. But Artemis was not at the least jolted by this, and continued looking down the wooded area until Yasmin disappeared from his sight.

_A few hours later..._

Artemis had gotten acquainted with knowing who the family was, being stuck inside the tent with them wasn't bad as he thought. But he felt it could have gotten a lot better. He knew that Nafriti was the oldest child amongst the Hala, then it was Jared and Jabari, then there was Oasis, Iboni came next and then finally Funsani. Yasmin had told Artemis much about the family, despite her children's pleas not to tell. He knew about the certain rituals that went on asking for prospering years, along with the dances that mated a female with a certain male. There were other various dances that went on with the society, but Artemis was slightly overwhelmed and wasn't too much thinking about them anyway, knowing he needed to leave for the city as fast as he could so he could find his own mate. The grey fox looked out of the slit again and noticed that the storm had finally passed over. "I guess I can go see the chief now and then I can head on. Thank you so much Mrs. Hala for your patience and your time, but I must leave." the grey fox said quickly and then stood up. "Wait, why don't you watch our ritual dance? Maybe you could give us good luck this year to our community?" Yasmin asked. Once again, the thought of extended life popped into his head. And he knew he would be a cold person for turning down an offer when he was nearly immortal compared to a lot of others.

Artemis sighed and nodded, "I'll stay... but after that I must leave." he replied quickly. Yasmin smiled and then looked at her daughter Oasis. Neither one of them knew it, but Yasmin had a plan, a plan to make their destinies intertwine forever. Artemis stepped out of the tent and walked a few feet forward, then suddenly twisted to glance back at Yasmin. "Who's going to be performing the ritual? If you don't mind me asking." the grey fox said casually. "It's gonna be Oasis, she's been practicing, and she's been a little nervous knowing it's her first time." she quickly said. "Mom! He doesn't need to know that..." Oasis seethed. The mother simply put a hand to her mouth and giggled, "Silly me. Anyway, let's go, I can't wait to see how you perform out there dear." she remarked. The family along with Artemis slowly headed towards the clearing in the woods. The grey fox glanced around casually, trying to remember his surroundings. After a few minutes of walking, the group of foxes reached a clearing with a hill near the end of it. The hill had a large hut on the top of it and a few people surrounding it chatting excitedly. As the foxes got closer to the hut, Artemis noticed metal contraptions lined in front of the hut that held a specific oily substance. He was guessing that they were to burn at night and keep the flames bright during this time if there was an event outside the hut. A fat and short brown fox came out of the tent and he looked down at his guests. "Yasmin. It's so great to see you, and I'm glad you could finally make it to proceed with the ritual." the fox quickly remarked.

Yasmin nodded, "Yes, we have Benipe, and I'm bringing along a guest of the family. Thought he would like to see our ritual's performance." the brown fennec remarked and gestured her hands at Artemis. The brown fox caught eye contact with the grey fox and something sent a chill up Benipe's spine. He frowned slightly, but tried to hide it with a big grin. "Heyyyy! Everybody come on to the court, we'll get started right away." Benipe remarked and then walked slowly back into the hut. Yasmin walked past the hut and then towards the back of it, which had even more people waiting and sitting to see the performance. Black chalk had been scratched into a circular design, showing how much room the performers had to work with. Oasis looked at the open circle nervously and realized how many people were going to be watching her. Along with the newcomer, who probably had no clue what kind of beliefs they were into and probably thought she was weird. Suddenly she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulder and she looked beside her to see her sister Nafriti smile at her warmly. "Oasis, you'll be fine, you can do this. Don't worry so much." the brown vixen remarked. Oasis nodded, trying to gain the confidence back that she had recently lost. Benipe came slowly walking out of the back of his hut with two young foxes carrying a somewhat throne towards the circle. The two foxes set it down a little away from the circle and then Benipe sat down.

Before he made his speech, he leaned towards Yasmin, "So... who's going to be performing for the ritual this year?" the brown fox asked. Yasmin pointed at Oasis and smiled, "It's going to be my fourth child, Oasis." she answered. Benipe looked quickly at Oasis' chest, seeing that it wasn't at all up well developed as he had hoped they would be. He quickly looked at her two sisters and noticed that they were exactly what he was looking for. Quite the opposite of their sister, they both had big breasts. The brown fox slightly frowned at Yasmin's choosing, but then put on a wide smile. "How about having Nafriti or Iboni do it? I mean, you never know, an expert at dancing for the ritual or a completely new age dance could make us prosper even more." the brown fox remarked. None of the children heard this, but Artemis heard this very clearly. He only hardened his stare at Benipe, his golden eyes burning through the brown fox. Frowning in disgust, he found nothing good about the fox as he continued searching his intentions. The Desert Fox searched into everyone, trying to find out the intentions of a person, not whether they were good or bad. An evil aura could possibly be changed, but it was what the intentions were that caused them in the first place, that set who a person was for life. Yasmin hissed, figuring out quickly what his motives were for his selected choice, "No! Oasis is going to dance and she's been practicing VERY hard. Suggest something else again, and I'll rip your vocal cords out!" she gritted. Her voice was low enough for no one to hear and her face was faced away from the crowd, so they couldn't see her angry expression. But Artemis had an eyebrow arched as he heard the threat. 'Damn... that's one hard mom. I'm starting to like her. She's straight to the point about her family.' he thought to himself.

The brown fox began to sweat hard from fear and he cleared his throat. "Of course, of course, I was just... thinking of suggesting something. Never again..." he quickly muttered and then lifted his hand high to cease the crowd from talking. The crowd immediately became silent and Benipe began to speak. "We will now watch Oasis Hala perform today. Please, show respect and pray that we will have a prosperous year." he announced. The crowd nodded and then became silent as Oasis slowly walked into the circle. She sighed softly, 'I can do this...' she thought to herself. A band of foxes began to beat against drums and then began to blow on pipes. She then began to pick up on the tune of their music and glanced around her. She slowly began to lift her hands in front of herself and then began to move her body gracefully to the music that was playing. Artemis knew that the ritual was quite useless, and he realized now that slowly the tribe was beginning to suffer, as he heard a few various children cough in the crowd. He slightly glanced away from Oasis, looking into the crowd to see mother's hold their child close as they looked at Oasis dance. Artemis quickly glanced back at Oasis dancing and then realized that she had a lot of talent, and he noticed that it was quite a different form of dancing to him. However his objective quickly changed to helping the tribe. He felt this was his first job to protect, what he felt he needed to do. Something seemed to be tainting the community, and as he looked at Benipe grin at Nafriti, he was starting to understand why.

** To Be Continued**

**Editor's Notes: Hmm, it appears that Artemis has stumbled upon a village in desperate need of some assistance. Something tells me that the village is going to need more than a dance ritual to bring prosperity back to the village. Can Artemis provide the help that they need or will he just ignore them and head to the city and search for a mate? Well you'll just have to read and find out! Please don't forget to review!**

**-Ultima out-**


	2. Chapter 2: Blunt Confession

** Lunar Mirage**

** Chapter Two: Blunt Connection**

_An hour after Oasis was done with performing her ritual, Artemis had decided to ask Benipe where the closest town was. After being informed of the closest city, Artemis tells the Hala family that he is about to head off. But little does he know, Yasmin has a surprise up her sleeve for the newcomer and her daughter._

_In Yasmin's tent..._

Artemis pulled back the covering to the tent and then looked up at the fading sun. "I can make it to Gyter City if I go quickly." he said to himself. He positioned himself to run quickly when he heard a voice call out to him. "Wait... Artemis please, Oasis needs to go into town as well. Pick up a few things for me and get some supplies for the family." Yasmin began. "Mom... why are you trusting me with this stranger? I can go by myself..." the brown vixen began, but was given a hard look by her mother. "Now Oasis, I want you to go with this young man, he looks quite strong and I'm sure he'll come back with you safely, right?" she asked. The grey fox became wide-eyed, not catching on to what just happened so fast. "Wait, I won't be..." he began, but Yasmin smiled. "Good, then it's all settled. Oasis, you and Artemis can go into town and pick up a few things for the tribe and come back safely." the mature fennec began. The Prower could not turn her down, knowing he was too kind to turn down such a sweet person. He simply crossed his arms and nodded, knowing there was no reason to grumble or gripe. The young brown fennec however began to mumble and then sighed as she thought about who she was going to travel with. "Well let's get going then." the grey fox ordered bluntly and began walking. "Are you crazy? It's almost sundown." Oasis replied. "Artemis, you might want to wait until tomorrow morning, it's extremely harsh out there and cold at night." Yasmin chimed.

This did not stop Artemis before, being used to traveling for three days straight before even sitting down for an hour's rest. But he was sure that Oasis would be a problem to travel like that. "It's around a week's trip. So I would like for you guys to get the most advantage you can." she continued. "Hmmm... a week's trip you say?" Artemis asked. He walked back towards the tent and then stood by the entrance. "Yes, around that time, so you shouldn't go now. Stay here and take a rest for the night. It seems you've been traveling non stop by the look of your clothes." Yasmin remarked and pointed at the grey fox's sandy jeans and vest. Artemis looked down at his clothes and then began to protest, "But I..." he began, but Yasmin quickly went behind him and peeled the dark blue vest from his arms, exposing the vulpine's chiseled chest and abs. Oasis blushed slightly in embarrassment at looking at her mother's straightforwardness and looking at Artemis. "Mom..." Oasis groaned. But Yasmin wasn't listening, she quickly unzipped Artemis' jeans and then yanked them down, exposing the grey fox in his boxers. This caused the two twins to turn around and the girls to close their eyes. Even Artemis blushed deeply at Yasmin's determined flare. "MOM!" Oasis shouted.

Yasmin smiled as she folded Artemis' outfit and then put them onto a small table. "Oh hush Oasis, you'll be seeing more soon I can guess. And look at him, he's such a man..." she cooed as she poked Artemis' chest. Artemis looked down with a flushed face and couldn't believe he was in this situation. "Oh my god, MOM!" Oasis continued, blushing madly herself. The mature brown fennec ignored her daughter's cry and then looked at Artemis. "There's a river just a little distance from here. It's straight right when you get out of the tent. Here's a fresh pair of undergarments..." she began and then threw a pair of black boxers. Artemis caught it and then inspected it closely. "And here's a towel as well as some soap and a washcloth." she finished and then threw the items at the grey fox. He caught them all and then headed for the opening. "One last thing, here's the temporary clothes you can wear when you get out, wouldn't want you to catch a cold out there, it's still a walk after all from here to the river." the mature brown vixen remarked and threw a few more garments on top of the pile of things Artemis was holding in his hands. He caught them and couldn't peer over the pile to really inspect them. "Better get going, it gets colder by the minute out there." Yasmin said and pushed him softly out of the tent.

The grey fox slowly walked out of the tent and then glanced back, "Alright, I shall be back hopefully in the next hour or so... I like to feel clean for a long time... just letting you know." he remarked and then walked straight. Oasis tried to gather her thoughts as the image of Artemis slowly fading away from her mind. A few minutes passed since the grey fox left out of the tent when Oasis decided to risk a plan she had come up with. "Mom... I'm going to go make sure that bandits aren't around the river... you never know... we've had some attacks before." the brown fennec remarked. This information was true, and she figured it would be the only excuse to go anywhere near the river at the moment. "Oh sure, make sure there aren't any around, I would hate for Artemis to be caught in a battle while trying to bathe." Yasmin replied. The brown fennec quickly dashed towards the river, trying to see if she could catch up with Artemis. Yasmin shook her head and grinned, 'You think you're so smart Oasis, but that's what you want to do, go get him.' she thought to herself.

_At the river..._

Artemis put down the towel and the clothes onto a large boulder that was set beside the river. He then quickly took off his boxers and then threw them on another section of the boulder and then quickly jumped into the river. The water was quite cold, and he shivered slightly. But he quickly concentrated the spirit's power and tried as hard as he could to make it useful externally. He believed the spirit inside of him could do anything, the hard part was trying to concentrate and knowing how to use the power. He was concentrating too hard to hear or feel Oasis come into the area. The brown fennec hid behind a tree and noticed Artemis was already in the water. She also saw that the water was rushing too fast to see anything under the water, which stopped at his torso. After Artemis concentrated hard enough, the grey fox finally began to heat the water up and then began to make it steam in a wide area around him. The proof was in the vapors coming up from the water around Artemis. This caused Oasis to open her eyes wide, 'No way... he just... made the water hot as a hot spring.' she thought to herself. Artemis now began to use the washcloth and soap to clean his body, thinking about his next plan to save the village and then quickly leaving for the city. Oasis began to blush, watching the mysterious grey fox wash as his serious look did not leave. Artemis felt a presence and then quickly realized it was Oasis. He glared back at the wooded area, noticing the vixen slowly adjusting behind a tree. He knew she was there, he could see her heat and soul signature through the Desert Fox's power. The grey fox slowly dunked his head under the water and then swam to another area silently. When Oasis thought that he wasn't looking, she peeked from behind the tree, just to see that he was gone. The grey fox continued washing a little down the river stream, keeping his privacy as Oasis searched frantically to see where the fox had gone.

A few minutes later, Artemis casually walked out of the river and then grabbed for the towel, quickly drying himself off and then putting on the fresh pair of boxers. "You know... you can stop hiding. I know you're there Oasis." the grey fox remarked casually as he began drying his hair. The brown fennec let out a slight yelp and then fell forward from behind the tree she was hiding behind. "I wasn't hiding... I was making sure bandits didn't come and attack you. They've attacked here before you know." she explained. The grey fox only nodded as he looked at the breezy and loose pants that he was about to try on. They were a creamy white color, and also the open shirt that was given to him. He wore it and then noticed something else. It was a creamy white rag that he assumed needed to be tied over his head. He didn't want to disrespect Yasmin, and found no harm putting it on, so he placed the bandana on his head and began tying it. "I'm sure that's true, but that was not your intentions to come out here Oasis." he said bluntly after tying the rag on his head.

Artemis began walking back to the tent while Oasis quickly tagged along. "What do you want to go to the city so badly for?" she randomly asked. The grey fox slightly glanced back at the brown fennec, knowing she was trying to be friendly. "I'm going to go find myself a mate." he remarked bluntly. Oasis slightly stopped in her tracks, but then quickly she began to follow behind him again. "Oh I see..." she said softly. The rest of the short walk remained silent and they finally reached the tent. "I see you two made it back safely." Yasmin remarked and then moved one of the draping clothes from the slit and then let Artemis walk in. "We didn't do anything." Artemis said bluntly, looking around the tent to place the dirty boxers and the washcloth and soap for cleaning. Yasmin took them out of his hands and set them in a location near the back of the tent, but not without commenting on Artemis' wardrobe. "Oooohhh, you look so much like their father Artemis, he looked strong and handsome, just like you." the brown fennec remarked. Oasis' eyes went wide, "Just like... our father?" she asked. Yasmin nodded, "Yes, but I won't continue, I've been flattering him since he got here." she remarked. She then handed him a blanket along with a few soft things to lay his head on, "Please, feel free to lay where ever you like. I can..." Yasmin began, when Artemis shook his head. "No... you guys sleep in your normal spots, I'll sleep outside, I can take it, and you won't talk me out of it." he said and then walked out of the tent.

Yasmin was beginning to notice that Artemis was usually the one to make the last word, and that he didn't act normal. She figured he could have found the legendary spirit that roamed in the desert, the one she had heard about as a child. "Well fine, I won't stop you, but at least stay near, just in case we need to find you." Yasmin insisted. Artemis turned around and nodded, "Fair enough, I will stay close. You will be able to find me near the clear path of stone just a little away from here in the east." he replied. Yasmin slowly nodded, confirming where he would be. The grey fox then quickly dashed towards his spot, trying to hurry and get some sleep so he could head off for the next morning. Yasmin quickly turned to her daughter and then pushed her softly into the tent. "Oasis I want you to get some sleep too, you need to wake up bright and early so you can travel with Artemis." the mature fennec ordered. Oasis simply went towards her sleeping bag and then laid in it softly. "...ok..." she said slowly and then pulled a sheet over her body.

The grey fox dashed through the wooded area and found the clear stoned section he had told Yasmin about. He quickly began to lay down the sleeping bag for him to lie on and then laid down onto the soft material. Then he pulled some sheets over him and laid the rest of the folded up stuff at his head for a pillow. He closed his eyes quickly, trying to go to sleep as fast as he could. But his mind quickly dawned on the Hala family, and then the rest of the tribe. The fact that they were slowly suffering pained Artemis, and he wanted to help out, so he would not go back on his word of returning back to the village to help. He turned to his side and then yawned, a final sign that he was feeling some fatigue.

_The next morning..._

Artemis had already put the material back into the tent and was leaning against a tree, waiting for Oasis to get up. Yasmin quickly pushed the brown fennec out of bed and quickly startled her. "Oasis, get up, it's time for you to head out." she said and quickly pushed her out of the tent. "Moooommmm I just want a few more minutes..." she tried to protest, but Yasmin was already shoving fresh clothes and cleaning material in the vixen's hands. "No, no more sleep, now go to the river and clean yourself before you head out and you'll feel a thousand times better." Yasmin remarked. "I'll go with her to watch over." the grey fox bluntly stated. Jarred and Jabari quickly stood up and then went towards the grey fox. "Now listen here..." Jarred began, but Yasmin put a hand on his chest. "Now Jarred, he just wants to protect her, nothing more." the vixen remarked. "But mom... he said it like..." Jabari began, but then Yasmin stopped him from talking as well. "He has good intentions you two... now stop being so uptight." the vixen snapped. The two muscle twins nodded at their mother's words and watched as Oasis and Artemis walked quickly through the woods.

_A few minutes later..._

Oasis began to undress and put her clothes quickly on the stone as Artemis kept his back turned. "You didn't have to come with me you know. I can take care of myself." the brown vixen remarked and then slowly dipped into the water. She shivered slightly, but then felt the water instantly get warmer as she got used to the temperature. "Just in case. You never know Oasis." the grey fox responded. The brown fennec slightly glanced at Artemis, noticing he had his back turned from her and that he was scanning the area. She was a little mad at her mother for letting him go, yet grateful at the same time. She was slightly disappointed that he wasn't trying to look at her, but then again, nothing seemed normal about this stranger. Nothing about him struck her as weird, yet everything seemed to be abnormal. She began to rub the cloth against her body as she doused it in soap, singing slightly to herself. She wasn't afraid of expressing herself, as she learned from her mother never to hide her feelings. She felt quite happy, and when she felt happy, she wanted to either sing or dance. Dancing in water was out of the question, so the next best thing was to sing. Artemis' ears perked up and he glanced behind him, actually forgetting that she was bathing. After quickly being reminded by the sight of her breasts, he quickly snapped his head back forward, making Oasis giggle. "Ahhh, so there is a man in there somewhere..." she remarked and giggled again. Artemis said nothing, remaining silent as he heard her beginning to sing again.

After she was done bathing, she stepped out of the river and then dried herself off. She began to put her fresh clothes and then passed by Artemis. "Thanks for watching over me and being patient. Now we can head out to Gyter City." she remarked. Artemis nodded as a response, and after a five minute walk, they arrived back at the tent. Yasmin clasped her hands together and then smiled, "Welcome back. Now here is the money you need to pick up the supplies." she remarked and then handed Artemis the bag of gold and silver coins. She then took the small cleaning material and dirty clothes from Oasis and then went inside the tent. "Please you two, be careful. And I hope to see you back soon." the brown vixen said after rubbing Oasis' cheek. "We will mom, don't worry." she replied with a warm smile. Yasmin nodded, "Good, don't forget the list too." she said and handed Oasis a scrap of long paper. Oasis quickly scanned over it and then nodded, "Ok, thank you mom." she said and then walked towards the exit of the wooded area. Artemis nodded at Yasmin and then quickly followed Oasis.

Artemis looked up into the sky to see the sun barely up. It was just coming over the horizon, which meant it just hit dawn. The two foxes walked slowly as Artemis began tying the satchel to his waist. After about twenty minutes of walking, Oasis glanced beside her, looking at the grey fox looking straight. "How long did your mother say it was going to be before we actually get back?" he asked. This sudden outburst startled the vixen, and she looked straight again. "She said around a week's trip. But that's if we're going exceptionally quick. There are many bandits around here, so that's what usually may slow us down." the brown vixen warned. Oasis glanced back at Artemis, waiting for his response. For the first time, she saw him grin, a wide grin that made him look very confident. "Good, some unknowing troublemakers I can play with." he remarked.

** To Be Continued**

**Editor's Notes: long whistle Artemis is definitely looking for a fight. Then again, I'm more worried for the bandits he encounters than him anyways. Also, is it just me, or is Yasmin doing everything in her power to put Artemis and Oasis together? Who knows? Maybe Artemis and Oasis could end up as a couple by the end of this story… read and find out people! Please don't forget to review!**

**-Ultima out-**


	3. Chapter 3: Gate of Memories

** Lunar Mirage**

** Chapter Three: Gate of Memories**

_Artemis and Oasis had been traveling for about two days, not stopping to take a rest or anything. Artemis was quite surprised to see that Oasis was not slowing down or trying to take a break. He did know however that she must be getting tired. She tried to fool him making him think she was fine, but he could hear her panting at times. He knew it was a matter of time before they had to stop running, but then again he was surprised that Oasis had lasted this long._

_In the desert..._

Oasis panted some more as she continued running, "We're almost there, just a little farther." the brown vixen informed. Artemis ran in front of the vixen and then halted quickly, which caused Oasis to stop as well. "No... we can't continue. You need to rest Oasis." the grey fox warned. Oasis began to bare her teeth and clench her fists, "I can handle myself Artemis, I'm not weak!" the vixen shouted and then started to walk past him. Artemis grabbed her arm and then yanked her back in front of him. This surprised Oasis a lot, and she gasped out of shock as she looked at the serious face of the grey fox. "You're not going anywhere, the sun's going down and now you're going to rest." Artemis ordered. Oasis only grunted, but saw the seriousness in his golden eyes. Her eyes scanned the area, trying to find a place to at least rest. "Where are we going to rest? There's no place to sit down." the vixen remarked. She saw Artemis take off his vest and then sit onto the sandy terrain. Oasis opened her eyes wide, "What are you about to do?" she asked. Artemis looked up at her and then pointed at his lap, "You can rest here, it's night now, and you'll need the strength." he replied.

Oasis looked around slowly, noticing the sun was beginning to fade into the horizon and that the sky looked a deep red and was beginning to turn to a dark purple color quickly. Oasis then softly walked towards the grey fox, hesitant of laying her head in his lap. She looked around again, and then finally crouched down and lied on her side near Artemis. She quickly adjusted herself to lay her head on Artemis' lap. She was blushing madly as she felt the grey fox drape his vest over the vixen, trying to warm her up from the cooling winds passing them. The brown vixen shivered slightly and then turned her head to face away from the grey fox, trying to not let him see her blushing face. She snuggled slightly in a comfortable position and Artemis simply sat back and let the vixen go to sleep. He kept a watchful eye over Oasis, scoping around for anything that moved other than the two that was in the middle of the desert.

Oasis continued shivering until she felt Artemis wrap his vest around her tighter, trying to keep her warm. She suddenly felt Artemis sit back, giving her more room to lie on his lap. The night remained silent, and Oasis could feel the wind whisper softly through the desert. She glanced slightly to her left, which looked straight up towards the sky. She could see the millions of stars that shone down upon the planet, the stars she soundlessly looked at by herself, but wished one day she could watch it with someone else. The vixen closed her eyes as the crescent moon shone down on her. 'In three more days... three days...' she thought to herself. The last image that she thought about before drifting into sleep was the moon and the brilliant bright stars shining around it.

_The next morning..._

Oasis woke slowly and batted her eyes. Her royal blue eyes scanned the area as she noticed that the sun was already up. If she had to guess what time it was, she believed it was around ten o'clock in the morning. She lifted her head quickly off of Artemis' lap and she stood up. "Ok... I took my rest... can we go now?" she asked quickly and then noticed Artemis' bare chest again. The grey fox stood up slowly and then nodded, "Right, we can continue forward." he replied. Oasis took the vest from around her shoulders and then slowly gave it to Artemis. He quickly put the creamy white vest back on and then walked straight. He glanced back at Oasis and then smirked, "Are you coming?" he asked and then quickly turned forward. Oasis quickly scurried towards Artemis and then past him, "Of course I'm coming." the fennec snapped and then continued walking.

_An hour later..._

Both the foxes noticed a sign along with tall buildings behind it in their view and smiled. "We made it!" Oasis shouted and began to run towards the town. Quickly, Artemis noticed that this was not Gyter City, but instead a much smaller town. He still ran after Oasis and then entered into the town. "Ok, first thing's first... Food supplies..." Oasis remarked and then took out the list that her mother had given her. She then scanned the list and looked around the various buildings, trying to look for a grocery store. Once she spotted it, she slowly walked down the sandy path and then went into the brick building. She noticed a brown coyote with a cowboy hat covering his face. "Excuse me sir, I'm looking for all of the items on this list please." Oasis greeted and extended her hand with the list in it. The coyote took the list slowly and then nodded. "Wait right here..." he said gruffly and then walked from behind the counter towards the different shelves storing food.

Oasis waited a couple of minutes with Artemis beside her and the coyote came back with a pile of food stocked in his hands. "That will be twenty gold." the coyote said lowly. The grey fox loosened the satchel on his belt and then reached in to grab two coins. He put two gold coins on the table and the coyote nodded at the two. "You two have a good day, you hear?" he remarked after seeing the two stuffed the purchased food in empty sacks. "We will, thanks, and you too." Oasis replied. The coyote nodded again, confirming her reply and sat on a chair behind the counter. The two left the store and Oasis looked at the list in her hand again. "Let's see... Medical supplies... after that... there are the cleaning supplies and the clothes..." she whispered softly to herself.

As Oasis looked ahead of her, she noticed a brown raccoon with a sun hat covering her face and a light blue dress hugging her figure. She slowly went towards Artemis, despite the sight of Oasis right beside him. "Hello stranger... I'm Madona, and do you care to get to know each other better?" she asked slyly. The grey fox with his arms crossed only stared hard at the raccoon, looking for something inside of her. Oasis saw this stare and was flushed in slight anger, thinking he was trying to see the raccoon's features under her sun hat and trying to estimate her real figure under the light blue dress. As she was about to shout out, Artemis spoke first, "Not interested." he remarked and then hauled the bag over his shoulder and turned around. This caused the raccoon to lose her sly grin and look at him in disbelief. "What?" she asked in a shocked tone. "I said, I have no interest to know you. You're not my type... you're too easy. To have a child with you would be a disgrace." he remarked bluntly and began walking away from her. The raccoon's eyes became wide at his words and then gasped. Oasis only glanced at the overdramatic raccoon and then quickly ran after the fox. Madona began to grit her teeth as she clenched her fist. 'I'll show him to call me easy. We'll see how easy it is when I take all of your stuff away from you pretty boy.' she thought in anger.

The day continued slowly as the two walked to various stores and markets to get what they needed for the tribe and personally for the family. After their deeds was done, the two started heading out with four full bags of things. Artemis was carrying three of them, while she carried the last one. The heavy amount he was carrying surprised her to see something so impossible be done, but she was getting used to the thought of Artemis not being normal. This of course meant that their trip back was going to take much longer than expected. Oasis usually travelled by horses, and would simply stash the bags on the horses, but Benipe was currently using them for some unknown reason to Oasis. The two walked out of the town and then slowly began to run back towards Oasis' home. No words had been exchanged for quite some time between the two as they continued running. Oasis mind began to replay the scene of Madona and Artemis, what he had said so bluntly, so clearly. 'Why does he want to have a mate so badly? I... what if...' she began to think. A memory began to play back in her mind of when she had walked back with Artemis after he had taken a bath in the river. 'What's the city have to do with him finding a mate? Can't he find one anywhere? Whoever he finds... worthy?' she thought to herself. She glanced at the grey fox as he looked straight ahead. She was beginning to wrap her mind on her thoughts and didn't realize she was slowing down. "Oasis, you're moving too slow, stop thinking so much." Artemis ordered as he continued his pace. The vixen picked up her speed and then looked at Artemis. "Sorry..." she replied softly. This made Artemis arch an eyebrow, expecting her to snap with a quick remark or a sassy comment, but only got a soft reply. But he remained silent on his thoughts and continued running through the desert with Oasis by his side.

A day passed by and they saw the sun rise over the horizon, turning into dawn. "Halfway there, we're making good timing Oasis. Thanks for keeping up." Artemis blurted out. The first words exchanged throughout their trip, and it was a compliment. This began to get to the brown fennec's head as she continued running beside the grey fox. She smiled warmly and glanced at Artemis, "You're welcome, I'm glad I could please you..." she said softly. This too, made Artemis think about the change in Oasis' regular attitude. Something was starting to affect her, and he didn't know if it was for the best or for the worst. But as he tried to think about this some more, he heard something small whiz through the air at a high speed from two miles away and abruptly stopped running. Oasis awkwardly stopped as well, almost tripping over herself and falling face first into the sand. "What's..." she began, but Artemis pounced on her and pushed her forcefully face first into the sand. "Stay down!" he shouted and then quickly let go of the three bags he was carrying. Many fast moving projectiles passed by them from different directions and then he stood back up, growling ahead of him and on both sides of him. Oasis spit sand from her mouth and began to growl at Artemis, "What was that for?!" she shouted.

Artemis then yanked his head towards his left and then right, then nodded in front of him, "We have company Oasis." the grey fox remarked. Oasis slowly stood up and then went beside Artemis, "Where, I don't see anyone?" she asked. Artemis saw them clearly, they were closing in, several figures trying to trap them from going any further. 'I didn't know bandits would have guns...' he thought to himself. "They're coming Oasis..." he replied. After a few seconds, the figures appeared in Oasis' view and noticed that they were riding on horses. After about half of a minute, the band of attackers finally came within fifty feet of the two foxes, wearing either black bulletproof vests or desert clothing, which Artemis found weird. Suddenly a brown raccoon in a light blue dress and a sun hat jumped down softly from behind one of the obvious bandits' horses. Oasis' eyes went wide as she instantly recognized the raccoon and looked at the various bandits around them. "You're Madona..." she said softly. The raccoon gave a sly grin and then took off her sun hat. She slowly put it on the back of the horse and then glared at Artemis. "Yes... I'm glad you remember me. Or at least somebody does pay attention." the raccoon hissed at Artemis, disregarding Oasis. Artemis was not concerned of her threats, it was Oasis he was concerned for. To him, she had skipped into a field of landmines, and realizing she was in one near the middle of it. Both of them were now surrounded by around seven armed bandits, and they looked trained enough to handle themselves in several situations.

"Never talk to a pretty lady in such a rude manner, you could get yourself killed like that. But you won't remember the lesson anyway, since you'll probably starve out here after we take your stuff." Madona remarked. She looked at one of the bandits and then yanked her head towards Artemis and Oasis, signaling him to take their stuff. The bandit jumped down from his horse, loaded his assault rifle, and then quickly walked towards the two foxes. Just as the bandit was about to take one of the bags, Artemis with quick speed threw a fist at the bandit, knocking him clean off of his feet and into one of the unsuspecting bandits on his horse. The bandit hit the other and caused him to fire his rifle randomly into the air before being knocked off of his horse and unconscious. This caused the raccoon to raise an eyebrow and Oasis to become wide-eyed. 'He just... knocked him back so fast...' she thought unbelievably. "So... it is true. You are the one who killed my brother." Madona remarked. "You're brother?" Oasis asked. Madona pointed at the grey fox and then frowned, "Yes, he killed my brother, I'm convinced now. The other rogues had told me that it was a grey fox with quick and unbelievable speed." she started to explain. This caused Artemis to bear his teeth again, an image of him standing over Ralph as he held the sword by his neck. "Don't tell me... the..." he began, but Madona finished it for him. "The Tolar Rogues. Yes, and you killed my brother Ralph Bevota, the former leader of the Tolar Rogues." she seethed angrily. Artemis found this information distasteful, knowing that if he had not left the soldiers alive, they wouldn't have told her and this wouldn't have happened. He took into account that he shouldn't let anyone get away from his grasp again.

Artemis decided that the best time to strike would be now, and he crouched low before the female raccoon began to notice what he was about to do. "You fools! Shoot him!" she shouted. But Artemis had already taken down three of the bandits from the horses. This left two of the conscious bandits enough time to actually try and use their brain. They swung their rifles slowly at Oasis, about to fire at her. Oasis gasped as she saw one of the bandits aim straight for her head. Artemis already grabbed a pistol from one of the unconscious bandits' holster and grabbed Madona in a hostage position. The two bandits looked at Artemis and noticed he had their current leader in his grasp. "Drop your weapons! NOW!" he shouted quickly and then watched as they quickly dropped them. "NO! You should have shot her when you had the chance!" Madona shouted, despite being held in Artemis' tight grip. The grey fox looked at Oasis and then at the horses, getting a quick idea. "Oasis, strap the bags on the horses and ride them to your home." Artemis ordered. The brown vixen shook her head, knowing she didn't want to leave Artemis behind. "But what about you..." she began, when Artemis shouted at her. "I said take them now! Don't waste anymore time Oasis!" he ordered. The brown fennec began to burst into tears as she did as she was told, quickly tying the four bags to two different horses and then jumped onto a third one. "Please Oasis... go... I don't want them ever having a chance to catch you." the grey fox explained softly. It was the first time Oasis had heard real emotion in his voice, that made him sound like someone with a weakness.

Oasis wiped the tears from her eyes and then jumped onto a third horse while holding a rope to keep the other two horses by her side. "Ok... I hope to see you alive Artemis." she said softly and then leaned forward on the horse. She put on a determined face and then whipped the reins of the horse and then watched as it rose high into the air. The grey fox watched as the three horses dashed off into the desert, proceeding forward to getting the supplies to the village. He was too fixated on watching Oasis leave however to notice his grip was loosening on Madona. She quickly took advantage and slipped out of his grasp. She slapped the pistol out of his hand and then jumped on top of the grey fox. She put on her sly grin, "Don't worry, I like it rough." she remarked. Artemis gave his grin and looked straight into her eyes. "That's how you'll be getting it." he responded. He quickly threw her off and then watched as the brown raccoon caught her balance. She quickly began to get into a fighting position as Artemis got into one as well. But as he noticed around seventy Tolar Rogues quickly closing in on him, he saw Madona smirk. "And now, Mr. Prower, what are you going to do now?" she asked. Artemis saw the rogues quickly jump off of their horses and load their assault rifles, pistols, and shotguns while others unsheathed machettes and other blades. Artemis only stood his ground, knowing that he could easily take them on if he had gotten the proper rest the night before. He was slightly panting, knowing normally he wouldn't even be able to stand straight from all the running and no sleep. But he held his fighting pose, looking dead at the brown raccoon. "I'm going to wipe you off of this planet." the grey fox answered and rushed towards her.

_Somewhere in the desert..._

Another day had passed and the vixen looked at the now dying sun. 'I'm almost there... just another five minutes...' Oasis thought sleepily to herself. Her mind constantly was on Artemis, and she worried if he was safe, and if he had survived from the group of rogues. Just as the vixen felt she couldn't make it any longer from her fatigue, she saw the wooded area almost literally smack her in the face. She quickly halted the three horses, stopping them from hitting the trees. She got down from the horse and then untied all four bags from the horses. The brown fennec took a bag slowly towards her mother's tent. Yasmin quickly came out of the tent, with a wide smile on her face and hugged her daughter. "Oooohhh you returned safely. I'm so glad... I was worried." she said quickly. "Mom... I'm fine..." she said softly. "There are three more bags along with three horses near the entrance of the woods, please... get someone else to get them... I'm going to go lie down." she continued lowly, about to burst into tears again. Jarred and Jabari quickly went to grab the bags and the horses to take them to the area where they kept all of their horses. Yasmin quickly stopped Oasis from getting into the tent and noticed her daughter's sad expression. "Oasis? ..." she began to ask, but looked away, not having the heart to ask the first time. But she looked at her daughter and then put her hands on Oasis' shoulders, "Oasis... where's Artemis?" she asked.

The brown fennec began to feel tears creep through her eyes and she shook her head. "I don't know mom..." she answered softly. "What do you mean you don't know? Did he really leave you out there alone in the desert?! Did he actually leave for the city?! Despite me asking him to keep you safe?! Why that little..." Yasmin began, but Oasis cut her off. "No mom, it's not like that at all. We were taking the supplies back, when this special band of rogues came out of nowhere. Artemis didn't let them lay a hand on me, but he stayed behind and told me to move forward, saying to get here with the supplies as fast as I could. He never seemed so serious before... Now he's gone because of me." she said and cried into her mother's chest. Yasmin patted her daughter's head and then began to cry herself. "I don't know where he is mom... I don't know..." Oasis wept. "It's ok Oasis... It'll be ok..." Yasmin said softly.

**To Be Continued**

**Editor's Notes: You know, despite how this situation looks, I'm still more worried about those rogues than Artemis… **

**-Ultima out-**


	4. Chapter 4: Sapphire Desires

** Lunar Mirage**

** Chapter Four: Sapphire Desires**

_Oasis had been worrying about Artemis for the whole night, wanting to know if he had gotten out of the clutches of the Tolar Rogues or if he had died trying to protect her. Her mind would not let her sleep soundly, and she woke up looking at the ceiling of her tent several times during the night. Little did she know that Benipe had something special for Oasis. Something special that she would never forget._

_The next morning..._

Oasis rose out of bed slowly, not moving for several minutes from her bed. The brown fennec remained silent and still, soaking in what had happened yesterday clearly. She finally got up from the side of her bed and walked slowly to one of the bags they had brought in. She slowly opened the top and then peered inside to see the new clothes that she had bought. She took out a new tribal outfit that she had thought was cute from the store and then tucked it under her arms. As she was about to turn and get some cleaning items, she noticed the other outfit that she had bought; an outfit that wasn't on the list. The vixen's royal blue eyes laid upon the specific shirt and pants that she had bought for Artemis, something she had wanted to see him in. She peeled her eyes away from the open bag and then grabbed the bar of soap along with the rest of the neccessary items. Yasmin stepped in front of her, but said nothing after she saw the materials in her hand. The mature fennec stepped aside and watched as her daughter walked slowly through the wooded area, towards the river in silence.

_In the river..._

Oasis was washing her hair, but thinking hard about what she could currently do to make the village better. True, she was worried about Artemis, but truthfully she didn't know him that well, and she had only been around him for a couple of days. Not even fully a week, yet she felt a part of her was missing when she thought about Artemis. She knew what this was obviously saying, and only felt she cared about his safety, not wanting to mate with him. But the more she thought about it, the more hot she became about the idea of being with Artemis for the rest of her life. Like the way he came into it, she was afraid he left the same way; in a mystery. She decided not to think about it any longer and continued washing in the rushing water. Suddenly she heard a twig snap and she couldn't help but smile. 'It's Artemis, he's finally back. And he came to tell me he's safe.' she thought happily. As she turned around with a smile on her face, it quickly faded into a look of surprise and fear as she yelped and lowered her body to cover her chest.

A brown fox with a muscular tone and a wide grin walked slowly up to the river. "Hello Oasis, coming to bear you great news." the fox remarked. He was wearing a traditional baggy and loose red pants, showing royalty among the rest of the other villagers. Also he had silver and gold beads that was held by string around his neck. Since he wasn't wearing a shirt, the bead necklace complimented his chiseled structure; another sign that he was the son of the village leader Benipe. The brown fox eyed the vixen after bending both knees and putting his arms to rest on his kneecaps, looking down closely into the river at what he wanted. This made the vixen blush slightly out of embarrassment from his staring, and she turned away. And tried swimming slightly towards the opposite side of where the fox was crouching. "What do you want Chuma?" Oasis asked kindly, despite the young fox's rude stare. "I wanted to tell you that it's my eighteenth birthday Oasis. Today I turn into a man, isn't that great news?" the brown fox asked with a grin. Oasis became wide-eyed, knowing what this meant. Before Oasis could say anything, Chuma began to speak again. "And I choose to take you in as my bride today. As I am given the privelige to." he finished, grinning again at the brown vixen.

Oasis had been set to marry Chuma since they were young, and at various points in her life, she accepted it as the traditional way that it was done. But at the moment, she definitely wanted to be against her traditional ways of life. "Chuma... listen, I'm not ready... I..." she began, when she saw Chuma frown. "You will be my bride Oasis, and the ceremony will start in three hours. Don't be late, I'm expecting to see my curvy woman dance for me." the brown fox seethed quickly and then stood up straight. He walked quickly through the wooded area, leaving the violated and angry vixen by herself again. 'How dare he tell me to dance for him?! I wouldn't do that to save my own life!!' she thought angrily. The vixen finished washing up, realizing that she would catch a cold if she stayed in the water for too long. She then got out and quickly dried herself with the towel, but she rubbed her body extra hard today. Though she knew Chuma never touched her, it was the thought of him touching all over her body, and he would have every right to in about three hours. She quickly finished drying herself off and then began to put on the clothes she had laid out for herself. The brown fennec grabbed the rest of the stuff and then began to walk back towards her tent. She didn't realize she was speed-walking until she noticed how quickly she had seen the tent in her sight. She saw her mother looking down at the ground, looking sad and shaking her head as she approached the tent. When she finally reached her mother, Oasis put a hand on her shoulder, "Mother what's wrong?" she asked.

Yasmin looked up at Oasis and then shook her head, not responding to her daughter. Oasis tried to figure out what was troubling her, when she looked to her right and noticed that Benipe was quite a distance away from the tent. But she noticed that he was walking away from the tent, and then she quickly looked back at her mother. "Did the chief come here? What did he say? Tell me mom!" the brown fennec shouted. Yasmin only sighed and then turned towards the tent. She went inside and then sat down on the bed. "You're getting married Oasis... you're going to become a lady today." the mature brown fennec responded. Oasis' eyes went wide as she heard her mother tell her that. "No... mom please don't tell me that you agree with this... I don't want..." she began, but Yasmin grabbed her daughter's shoulders and looked into her royal blue eyes. "Oasis, you know damn well I don't agree with this... but there's nothing I can do... it's our tradition, and it would be wrong to break it for our personal wants and desires." the mature brown vixen explained. Oasis sighed, not trying to cry for her messed up future. "Ok..." she said softly and then went inside the tent slowly. As Oasis sat onto a chair, she saw her sister Nafriti hold up an outfit in front of her. "Oasis... this is what Chuma wants you to wear..." she began. The brown vixen looked up from the ground and then noticed that the outfit was quite revealing. It definitely wouldn't cover much of her body, and she only sighed again. 'I just wish...' she began to think, and her mind flashed onto Artemis.

_Three hours later..._

The brown fennec walked slowly up the hill towards the chief's hut. Chuma was waiting at the top, smirking at the look of his prize coming up. Oasis continued looking down, sad and hurt that she had to follow along the lines of lust, and not love. The brown fox noticed how slow Oasis was going and frowned slightly, "Come on Oasis, I don't have all day." the brown fox snapped. The brown vixen began to speed up her pace and then finally made it to the top of the hill. It was there that she saw Benipe sitting in a chair looking at the Hala family coming up to the top of the hill. Iboni tugged onto her mother's pants leg and then pointed at Oasis, "Why must she get married to someone she despises mom?" the brown vixen remarked. She had asked the question right in front of Chuma, which made him growl and Yasmin to put a hand over her mouth. Chuma said nothing as Yasmin hurried Iboni along and he eyed the two vixens. Oasis was now in the back of the chief's hut, and was standing in the middle of the circle. She began to look at the outfit she had on, knowing that she was getting a lot of stares from the males. Chuma went towards the back of the hut as well and stood outside the circle, waiting for his father to show up. Everybody began to gather around the circle, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Benipe finally came out of the back of the hut as other members carried his chair to the back of the hut.

He raised his hand to cease the noise around him. Everyone became quiet and waited for the chief's words to be spoken. "I now declare my son to be eighteen, he is the rightful heir to the leadership of this tribe, and can now marry the female he was destined to be with." the short and fat fox remarked. The crowd began to cheer, as Oasis held back the tears she felt stinging her eyes. Chuma looked at Oasis and smiled warmly, playing a role he knew he would never cast the part of for the rest of his life, a good husband. "And now, my dear, I request that you please dance for me... to show our official bond together as husband... and wife." Chuma said softly. The brown vixen looked at her mother, who had both her hands clasped over her mouth, feeling more tortured than ever that her daughter had to marry someone unworthy. A band began to play the music needed for the traditional ceremony and Oasis began to slowly dance, knowing that she was dancing her soul away to a miserable and lonely life. But there was nothing she could do about it. It was the way of their beliefs, and nothing could stop that. Chuma smirked again as he watched Oasis move gracefully in front of him, performing the traditional dance of matrimony and special bonding. The vixen continued performing her dance, getting lost in her own world as she knew this was the last time she would dance from her soul.

Chuma began to walk towards Oasis and she began to slow down her rhythm and moves to see her destined husband walking towards her. Suddenly a voice broke the silence between the two. "Stop the dance." a clear and recognizable voice clearly demanded. Everyone around the circle gasped at the outburst that they all heard. Chuma began to growl and looked frantically around, looking for the one who had demanded the halt on his ceremony. "Who dares?!" Chuma shouted out. Suddenly a figure slowly walked up to the tribe from the side of the hut. "I did, and I'll say it again, stop the dance." the figure ordered. To Chuma and the other tribal members, they began to squint to see who it was. But to Oasis, her family, and Benipe, they immediately knew who it was. "ARTEMIS!!" Oasis shouted and then ran towards the grey fox. Everything seemed to go into slow motion to the brown fennec, she couldn't believe that he was still alive, and by the looks of it, not a scratch was on him. As the brown vixen made it to the grey fox however, he extended her hand and halted her from a huge embrace. This confused Yasmin as well as Oasis alot. "Not now Oasis, I must take care of business first." the grey fox remarked and walked towards the chief.

"Benipe, tell these people where the real chief is right now." Artemis ordered. The short and brown fox laughed nervously and then stood up from his chair. "I... heh... I don't know what you're talking about." he replied. Artemis made the coldest stare he had ever made deep into Benipe's eyes and then bared his teeth, "Tell them where the REAL chief is NOW!" he shouted and began to walk towards the fox. The tribal members began to whisper amongst themselves and began to point at Artemis and Benipe. The brown fox began to panic and pointed at Artemis, "GUARDS KILL HIM!" he ordered and then turned around to run. Oasis gasped and put a hand in front of her mouth. She saw around ten elite fighters run towards the grey fox and saw Artemis cross his arms over his bare chest. "Artemis, no! They've never lost before! Just give up!" she shouted and then ran towards the grey fox. As one of the guards reached him, the guard began to punch him. But the fighter quickly noticed that Artemis was still in his crossed arms pose. But in around a millisecond, the grey fox had already ended up behind the fighter and chopped him in the back of the neck. He didn't want to kill them, seeing that their intentions were not evil, but only doing their job to protect the 'chief.' Artemis continued knocking out the elite fighters easily and then walked slowly towards Benipe again.

Artemis quickly stopped as he saw Benipe cower in fear from the grey fox. "Since you won't show them Benipe, then I will. Come on out Jibade." the grey fox called out. Benipe's eyes went wide, "Jibade?!" he shouted in disbelief. Yasmin fell onto her knees by the name of that she heard twice in less than ten seconds. "Jibade..." she whispered, beginning to cry. Oasis ran to her mother and then shook her shoulders. "Mom, what's so special about Jibade, who is he?" she asked. The crowd around the circle began to make a loud uproar of questions, angry shouts, cheers, and a lot of arguing. Suddenly they saw near the back of the hut that the flaps began to slowly move and a muscular red fox walked out of the back of the hut. He had royal blue eyes and a gold headband with a large and polished smooth sapphire stone set in the middle of the head band. The red fox slowly looked over at Yasmin and smiled. "It's been too long, hasn't it my love?" he asked. Yasmin began to cry and nod, tears streaming down her face. All of Yasmin's children began to open their eyes wide as they looked at the red fox. "My love?" Oasis repeated. "Oasis... Jibade is your father." Yasmin replied.

Benipe only growled as he saw the people conversating, now realizing what was going on. "You're supposed to be dead!!" Benipe shouted. Artemis and Jibade turned towards the short and fat brown fox, who was now accompanied by Chuma. Jibade frowned and then walked quickly towards the brown fox. "You took everything from me. You took my family, my home, my leadership... and you turned it into a famished and starving community. You have tainted this tribe and caused them all to suffer!" Jibade shouted and pointed at the rest of the tribal members. He glanced at the people, who were now shouting and pointing at Benipe, angry at what he had told them. "You said Jibade was dead!" a random voice shouted. "You lied to us!" another voice yelled. Just as Jibade got close enough to hurt him, he quickly pressed something on Benipe's gold wristband and then he quickly began to glow. The short and fat brown fox had now turned into a tall and muscular brown fox, still with the same facial features and in a different attire. He was now wearing a white tank top and black cargo pants. On the tank top however was a symbol of a black claw, or talon. Everyone began to gasp, except for Artemis, Jibade, and Chuma. "And so now it makes sense..." Jibade began as he saw Benipe quickly get into a fighting stance. Artemis walked in front of Jibade, piercing his eyes at the brown fox. "He's a Tolar Rogue." he finished. Oasis then thought of the name of the bandits that had stopped them in the desert. 'Tolar Rogues... no way... all this time... it's been connected.' she thought to herself.

Benipe gritted his teeth and then threw the first punch, trying to aim at Jibade. Artemis quickly blocked the attack and the two began to throw punches and dirt began to kick up from their fast movements. It happened so fast, and to Oasis it felt as if something was yelling danger in her heart. She began to feel a chill run down her spine as she saw Jarred and Jibari run towards the scene. "No, stop Jibari and Jarred!" Yasmin shouted. Chuma had brought out a long switchblade and held the knife's handle upside down, another sign of a military professional. As Yasmin began yelling and crying more, and Chuma quickly thrusted the knife at the unknowing true leader of the tribe. Jibade looked at Chuma too late, and his eyes went wide as he saw the blade come towards his throat, but Jarred punched the brown fox hard in his gut and watched as spit shot out of his mouth. Jibari followed up with a running kick to Chuma's face. The brown fox was hit hard enough to drop the knife, roll violently on the ground, and remain still as the two twins looked at Jibade. After a few seconds of staring, the two twins hugged Jibade tight and smiled, "Dad..." they both said in unison. Jibade smiled warmly and rubbed both of his son's heads, knowing that he would have done the same for them.

Benipe was coughing up blood as Artemis walked closer to him. "Wait... we can make a deal..." he began. This quickly angered the grey fox as his mind flashed onto the jackal who had began to cower before him. "No... instead you will die." Artemis replied quickly and then thrusted his palm towards the brown fox's chest. Benipe's eyes went wide as blood drooled out of his mouth and to the grassy ground. Artemis wasn't done however, considering that his crimes were much worse than Ralph's, he felt Benipe deserved a much more brutal beating. "Desert Fox Barrage!!" the grey fox shouted and began to beat the fox violently across the wooded area until he made a final strike to the brown fox's gut. Benipe levitated into the air a couple of feet from the force that Artemis hit him. He had already died instantly from one of the barrage hits and he began to roll to a slow stop on the ground. The grey fox slowly turned to the bleeding Chuma and watched as he was wheezing heavily. The grey fox walked slowly towards him and then picked him up. "Go... and never come back." he remarked. Chuma looked into his golden eyes and gritted his teeth. "You'll pay for this... Artemis..." the brown fox remarked and quickly ran away. Oasis slowly walked towards Jibade and then looked at him with soft eyes, now understanding where her royal blue eyes had come from. "... father?" she called out.

Jibade turned around to see his grown daughter looking at him, a little hesitant if she should come over closer to him. "My daughter Oasis, oh how you have grown." the red fox remarked and then quickly ran to her and hugged the brown vixen close. Oasis immediately hugged Jibade and then a wide smile spreaded across her face. "Daddy..." she called out and hugged him closer. "Our official and true leader, Jibade Hala is back!" one of the tribal members shouted. The rest of the crowd cheered and then the rest of the family ran towards Jibade and hugged him. "It's been so long Jibade..." Yasmin said, slowly walking to the red fox. "Ahhh... my love." the red fox began and kissed Yasmin passionately. The brown vixen began to blush deeply as she felt her soul mate passionately embrace with her. They slowly parted, and looked into each other's eyes. "I love you so much Yasmin." Jibade began. "I love you too Jibade." Yasmin finished and they hugged. Artemis smiled warmly and then turned around, about to leave the wooded area. "Artemis wait." Jibade called after him. The grey fox turned around and glanced at Jibade and smiled, "No need to thank me, and I must get going. I've protected this village, and I hope you guys live in peace. I must go to the city and find myself a mate." the grey fox remarked and faced forward again. "Good luck with that then. I hope you find a good one and thank you for all that you have done for us." Jibade remarked and waved him off.

Oasis watched Artemis leave, knowing that there would be no other chance to get what she wanted. Oasis quickly broke away from the group and then ran towards Artemis. Jibade began to stop her, but Yasmin held his shoulder and smiled warmly. "Let her go... this is what she wants... she wants to taste real love." she remarked and watched her daughter run down the hill. The grey fox was already passing by the river when he heard someone come up behind him. He slowly turned around to see Oasis run up to him. "Artemis... I'm gonna be blunt... let me be your mate..." she remarked, trying to be as precise as Artemis. She blushed slightly, thinking about what she actually said. Artemis blushed slightly as well, not expecting to hear this from Oasis. "Excuse me?" he asked. Oasis replied by pressing against Artemis' body and then kissing him passionately, wanting to get lost in the heat of love she had for Artemis. She could not deny it now, she truly loved him and the way he handled things. It was different, but it was something she wanted to get used to. Oasis began to blush deeper as she felt Artemis wrap his arms around her waist and then pull her body close to his, making her yelp out in surprise and blush a deep red. "Artemis..." she said softly. The grey fox's golden eyes looked into Oasis' royal blue ones, and he began to search through her intentions and her soul, wanting to know what true love would be like. He felt she was pure, and wanted to do the right things in life.

He quickly put both his hands on her butt and then raised her into his arms, since he was much taller than her. This caused her to really feel a lot of emotions as she felt his hands squeeze where they were placed and she leaned forward and kissed him passionately again. She pressed against him and then wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, wanting to stay in the position she was in for the whole time. They heard someone clear their throat and Oasis quickly turned around. She quickly saw Yasmin blushing for Oasis' sake and Jibade having his arms crossed as well as his eyebrow arched. Jibari and Jarred were making disgusting noises while pointing at the inside of their mouths as if they were going to gag. Nafriti was shaking her head and blushing at the same time, while Iboni was giggling. Funsani was the only one confused and was pointing at Artemis and Oasis, "Mommy what are they doing?" he asked. Yasmin covered his eyes and then quickly began to take him to the tent. "You go ahead and take care of this dear." Yasmin said and walked away from the group. Jibade walked towards the two and Artemis dropped Oasis gently after she unwrapped her legs from around his waist.

Jibade looked at the two and then put a hand on Artemis' shoulder. "Treat her right, and please make sure to keep her safe. I know you two will be great for each other." he told him. "You can count on me." Artemis replied. Jibade looked at Oasis and then smiled warmly, "If I'm correct Oasis, tonight is the night... isn't it?" he asked. Oasis went wide-eyed, "Yes... tonight is the night..." she remarked. 'A perfect time...' she thought. Jibade smirked, "Artemis, please, stay until tomorrow, we would like for you to see something." the red fox remarked. Artemis raised an eyebrow, "See what?" he asked.

_Several hours later..._

Artemis stood out in the open of a field as Oasis slowly stepped out in front of him. Jibade had explained to him that the Hala family was a very unique family. During a two month time period, it was believed that the term once in a blue moon really did exist. The Hala family were the only ones left to see this, and be affected. When Artemis was told this, he almost couldn't believe it, how coincidental it would be for him to come around this time to witness something extraordinary. Oasis smiled as she looked high into the sky, seeing the full white moon. "It's here..." she whispered into the sky, feeling the wind blow through her traditional marriage outfit and her hair. Artemis felt as if a certain glow was coming from the vixen, which he found again quite surprising. He looked into the sky and saw the full white moon. "I don't see anything, it's just the full white moon." he remarked. Oasis smiled dreamily into the air and then closed her eyes. As she finally faced Artemis, he saw something beginning to happen in front of his eyes. Jibade put a hand on Artemis' shoulder as he watched his daughter beginning to change. "The word Hala means the moon, we were named this for a reason." he remarked.

Artemis looked closer to Oasis face, which was where the more viewable changes began. The three markings near the bridge of her nose began to extend out, and creep across her face. They also began to glow a royal blue color and spread even more quickly across her face in various tribal patterns. Other markings began to appear across her neck and exposed body, making tribal patterns wherever there was room. Artemis couldn't believe his eyes, he was beginning to feel extreme and flowing pure power from the vixen in front of him. As Oasis opened her eyes, Artemis' golden eyes looked softly into her new silver ones. They glowed soflty, showing an enchanted power flow within her. "Now Artemis... I am ready..." she requested. Jibade smiled and left the two, markings covering his face as well. The grey fox walked slowly towards the vixen and then wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned up towards his face and watched as Artemis bent down to kiss her again. "I love you Oasis..." he said softly into her ear. This made Oasis blush and then put her head into his chest, smiling at the thought of the male she caught for herself. "I love you too Artemis" she replied.

** To Be Continued**

**Editor's Notes: Alright now, all together now… awwwwwww! 3 Yeah, that's right all we got left now is the epilogue! As always, read and review!**

**-Ultima out-**


	5. Chapter 5: Epilogue

**Lunar Mirage**

**Chapter Five: Epilogue**

_Artemis and Oasis had moved into Gyter City, passing through Mabose Desert all together. The two were also officially married and the two were extremely happy. They had bought a small apartment in the urban setting and were now concentrating on their next phase in life. Of course even though Oasis knew Artemis to be blunt, but she planned to lay down a few ground rules herself. She could be blunt at times as well, which Artemis was beginning to find out._

_In their bedroom..._

Artemis softly pushed Oasis onto the bed and she blushed heavily. "When you said if I wanted a child and I said yes, I didn't think you meant right now..." she said softly. Artemis went closer to her face and then kissed her passionately. "Well when did you think I meant, in the next five hundred years?" he asked, smirking at his question. Oasis closed her legs and then sat up slightly in the bed, still in a sexy pose. "Nooo, but I still want us to spend some time together before some kids..." she began and began to rub her finger along his shirt. "You never know when we might be able to enjoy our passionate love for each other." the brown fennec finished softly. Artemis only leaned back and then crossed his arms; something else Oasis was starting to get used to. She figured he did that when he began thinking about what someone said, so she smiled when she saw him take it into consideration. "Ok... that is fine by me. After all, like you said, you never know." he said and then leaned over to kiss her softly.

_Out on a grassy hill..._

Oasis beamed with joy and hugged Artemis close as he still tried to set the picnic blanket. "I didn't think you would take me here Artie." she remarked. The grey fox blushed slightly as he felt Oasis making him twirl with the blanket still in between his fingers. "Hey, still setting this thing up ya know." he stated. The brown vixen stopped moving on his back and then set herself down onto the ground. "Sorry." she said. She felt like an excited little girl, she hadn't had a picnic at all in her life. And she had always wanted one in a somewhat grassy and open field, like she had seen in pictures. She had doubted for a large part of her life that she would get it, figuring she was going to marry Chuma. But she saw that fate had a funny way of playing it's hand at the end of it's turn. The grey fox glanced at Oasis as he saw Oasis clasp both her hands in front of her and bounce as he finished setting the blanket perfectly. "You're excited dear." he remarked and then walked over to the basket of food. "Well yeah! I'm actually gonna have a picnic, with the best man in my life, why shouldn't I be?" she asked. This caused Artemis to clear his throat slightly and he set the basket onto the red and white plaid blanket. "Well I'm glad to hear that, I'm happy to have a picnic with you too. And you look stunning in that dress I bought you." he said and pecked her on the lips.

Oasis was wearing a plain yellow dress, long and flowing that stopped near her ankles. Artemis was wearing a white dress shirt with black dress pants, both were wearing something quite new to them and figured they could blend in to the rest of the city community. "Well that get up makes you look like a business man." she said and giggled. The two sat down on the blanket and Artemis grunted. "I hate business men." he responded and then pulled out a wrapped BTL sandwich and handed it to Oasis. She took it and then looked at it in curiousness. "What is this?" she asked softly. "It's called a sandwich." the grey fox replied, not looking up from the basket as he pulled more food out. The brown vixen arched an eyebrow and then set the wrapped sandwich down. "I'll pass. I won't eat it." she said firmly. Artemis looked up from the basket as he pulled out some fruit and looked at Oasis. "Why? I heard it's really good. I haven't tried it myself." the grey fox admitted. Oasis eyed her husband and then pointed at the sandwich. "I've had sand before and it's not tasty. If they say that sand is good, I'm not going to eat it. Hmph!" she explained and crossed her arms and threw her nose into the air, showing her stubborn side. Artemis began to snicker, "I asked the same thing at the store, he said it's not sand, it's just called a sandwich. I'm willing to give it a try." he explained.

Oasis looked slowly back at the sandwich and picked it up. "Not sand?" she asked softly, to no one in particular. She unwrapped it and slowly put it in her mouth, a little hesitant and getting ready to spit it out if it was grainy. But as she tasted the rich and soft different elements of the sandwich, her eyes widened. "This is... wow... who invented this?" she asked. Artemis raised an eyebrow as he watched his wife take a few more bites. "Is it that good?" he asked. The grey fox unwrapped his sandwich and then took a bite out of it, nodding as his eyes widened. "Yeah, this is good. Tastes nothing like sand." he remarked and took another bite. The two continued conversating on the hill and laughed as the sun began to set. Things were looking well for the two young lovers, and that's exactly what Artemis had wanted.

_A year later..._

As Artemis began to unlock the apartment door and grab for his coat, he heard a soft voice call out to him. "Artemis... I want you now..." Oasis called softly. The grey fox glanced at Oasis with an arched eyebrow as he saw the fennec wearing a revealing gold gown. Artemis slowly continued opening the door, still debating whether to turn back around or not. "Oasis, you know I have to work today." he began. The grey fox could not finish as he saw Oasis quickly pounce on him at the door and then hopped into his arms. "No... you're not working today. You're going to give me what I want." she quickly stated, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Don't you think..." he began. "Now." she ordered slowly and got out of his arms. She slowly walked towards the room and then swished her tail back and forth, trying to beckon the grey fox to follow her. Artemis quickly stood and then walked swiftly towards the room. He was sure that for their first time it was going to be very special, and he wanted it to be memorial. But definitely not when he was supposed to be working at the moment.

_Around five years later..._

Oasis walked slowly on the sidewalk with a small grey female kitsune as the two twins ran around in circles around her legs. "Matthew and Nathon stop playing, it's not safe to play like that out in public until you reach a safe spot to do that." Oasis ordered at her children. The two brown foxes nodded and then stopped running around her ankles. Artemis slowly moved his fedora hat up and then walked beside Oasis. "Let me see Tikan for a second dear." the grey fox remarked. Oasis handed him the small kitsune from her arms and watched as Artemis smiled warmly. "She's so cute..." he remarked softly. Oasis was quite surprised to see Artemis' soft side. This wasn't rare, it was a miracle. "Well, I'm sure it's because she takes after you more. Mind you I was ugly as a baby." the brown vixen said and laughed. All three foxes following her shook their head. "Nu uh." they said in unison. "You were always beautiful baby." the grey fox said and kissed Oasis lightly. Oasis blushed and then turned slightly as they walked into the park's entrance. "Thank you Artemis..." she said softly and hugged onto him.

_Another two years later..._

Both twins ran into the house beaming with joy as Artemis was on the couch. Knowing the regular routine, the grey fox shook his head and then put his hands up defensively. "No... don't you..." he began, when they leaped onto him as hard as they could and began to jump on him and pull on his arms. "Daddy daddy! Guess what?! I want some icecream!" Nathon shouted. The other young grey fox began to pull on his father's arms and then snuggled against his chest. "I want some cake!" Matthew shouted. "Alright cake and icecream for everybody, just stop pulling." Artemis replied quickly. But the two young foxes wouldn't stop jumping on the couch and then pulling on his arms. Artemis sighed as Oasis came into the room and giggled. "Poor Artemis, you two leave your father alone. He was watching tv, he'll play with you two in a minute." she said. "Ok mom!" they both shouted and then ran to their rooms. Artemis smirked as he looked at the brown fennec. "My savior again. How should I start repaying you?" he asked kissing the fennec. She giggled again as she rubbed on his thigh, "You can start by giving me my treat now... I want it before the kids get theirs..." she cooed in a sexy voice, and began to smirk deviously. Artemis smirked, "Yeah, guess you deserve yours before the others." he said lowly and then began to walk towards the room with Oasis plodding behind him.

**To Be Continued**

_Author's Notes: Lex Prophet again, this ending was a little short I know, or if it wasn't, glad you liked it. Hope to get your feedback on the story and what you think about it. Next series is **Vile Eyes.** I have to give some credit to Ultima as well, he's definitely been helping out with the editting. Check him out._

**Editor's Notes: I bet you thought that this was it for the series? Heck no! We still got a long way to go! Wondering what happens next are we? Well you'll just have to wait and see! Be on the lookout for "Vile Eyes", this is Ultima the God signing out! As always, please read and review!**

**-Ultima out-**


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